Laguna declares emergency to quicken erosion work

LAGUNA BEACH – City officials proclaimed a local emergency and public nuisance this week to allow erosion-prevention work to move ahead more quickly on the hillside that burned in a wildfire in September.

About four acres caught fire Sept. 16 on the slope above Ruby's Diner and adjacent to Laguna Terrace Mobile Home Park after power lines operated by Southern California Edison came down, according to the Laguna Beach Fire Department. With soil left exposed, winter rains could send mud, debris and rocks downhill without some kind of remediation measures, City Manager John Pietig said.

"We know what happens in this town when we get substantial rains," he said.

The burned parcels are owned by 10 different parties, including the city and the mobile home park. So far, the city has been in touch with four of them. Officials proclaimed a local emergency to make the project exempt from environmental and public contracting requirements that could cause delays. The council also declared a public nuisance to allow work to begin on parcels immediately, before receiving formal contracts with parcel owners.

"Time is of the essence since it's already Nov. 13, and we're heading into the typical rainy season," Pietig said.

The project will include applying hydraulic mulch with seeding to cover the bare soil. In steeper areas, netting will be installed to hold rocks in place. Work will cost between $250,000 and $300,000, and the city will seek reimbursement from Edison. If the city can't get the money back from Edison, Pietig said, costs will be assessed to private property owners.